Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-08
MOST FOUND GUILTY.
CONVICTED OF INoENDIARx
TALK.
The Leader OF the Enemies OF dow
ernment Testifles in His Own
Defense.

When John Most's trial was resumed Tues
day his attorney, Mr.. Howe, disclaimed for
him any connection with the threatening let
ter sent Judge Cowing Most then testified in
his own behalf He was born In Bavaria Al
years ago, He denied having threatened the
executioner Of the anarchists or any one else,
and declared that the Kraemer's Hall meet
ing was public. He addressed his hearers as
fellow citizens, uttered no threats or violent
anguage, and when the cry Of revenge was
raised in the audience, said: Not now. The
capitalists are arrayed against us. We are
here to accuse, and / accuse GrinneI, Gary
and the judges Of the murder
He went on to give his version of the
speech and was not sure about having said he
would give 10 years Of his life to know the
hangman and would strangle him. He did
not say that for every man killed in Chicago
500 would be slaughtered.
On cross-examination Assistant District
Attorney Nicoll questioned Most on the
record of his past life. The prisoner said he
had been convicted of treason in Austria in
1869 and had been imprisoned one year. In
1870 he was again convicted in that country
of the same crime, and got five years sent
ence, but gained his liberty in 1871, through
an amnesty granted political prisoners. In
1872 he was sentenced to one years imprison-
ment in Berlin for calling the Emperor of
Germany "slaughterer." In 1874 he was
sentenced to one year and six months inn
prisonment for speech made in Berlin on
the memorial day of the Paris Commune.
In 1877 he was sentenced in Berlin to
two months imprisonment for blasphemy. In
1881 he was sentenced in England to eighteen
months imprisonment for applauding in the
"Freiheit" the killing of the Gar. When he
got out of prison he came to this country,
and has since remained here.
He refused to answer questions as to the
authorship of the art of Revolution lry
Warfare and the use of explosives lest he
should criminate himself.
THE ANARCHIST UTOPIA.
He described himself as 'Communistic An
archist.' Anarchists desired the overthrow
Of the present form Of government. A state
of anarchy would be one without commerce,
but in which there should be no communities
of men, among whom wealth was equally dis
tributed. There would be scientific schools
where both sexes would be educated in the
same way. He believed in force. The diff
Guilty caused by capital will most likely end
In revolution. Our principle he said, lis
'peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must -
He thought that explosives would be used on
both sides in the coming revolution.
A long dispute arose when Most was asked
whether he believed in God who punished
perjury. Most finally answered that he did
not and believed with Socrates regarding
first cause, that we know that we know moth
ing.
Mr. Howe in his closing speech said the
question at issue was whether free speech
should exist.
Judge Cowing in his charge said free
speech does not mean that an individual has
the right to SANDER his neighbor or to incite
to riot After going over the testimony
carefully he said he failed to find anything
in the speech OF Most, as he gave itat the trial.
that came withinthe statute.
A VERDICT OF GUILTY.
The jury went out at $50 p. m. and return
ed at 10 p. M, with a verdict Of ''guilty.
The verdict created general surprise, as the
prevailing impression had been that the evil
dence was insufficient. The Judges charge
was also considered to be in Most's favor. 1t
issupposed that the jury was influenced by
Mosts bad record as an agitator. aud the fact
of his many previous convictions on similar
charges.
Mr.. Howe moved for new trial and argu-
ment on the mouion will be heard next Mon
day. Sentence was therefore deferred. Most
will be locked up in the Tombs until the ques-
tion of a new trial is decided.
On the first ballot the jury stood for ac-
quittal and for conviction. After several
ballots it became to g. Finally the @ for
acquittal gave in. 1t took three hours To
change the first man from acquittal to CON
viction. The rest followed more rapidly.
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